Ling Xia’s first thought was to take those two kids, pack up, and hit the road, but how viable was that? Right now, Song XiaoHu was carrying out an assignment elsewhere, and besides, running away was more likely to arouse other people’s suspicions.
This world doesn't really practice the a single master for life custom, and as long as one gets permission from their current teacher, they could become disciples of multiple, more powerful getting approval first, they would be treated as a betrayer, henceforth suffering the spurn and disdain of other orthodox cultivators.
A heavy stone weighed upon his heart, but at the same time, he consoled himself that a least this era didn't have the technology for fingerprint analyses. Their opponents might not even find Shang Yan's corpse.
Reassuring himself this way, Ling Xia finally calmed down and fllowed the other Immortal Welcoming Pavilion disciples back after tidying things up. Currently, he was worried the most about Yu ZhiJue, that child obviously wasn't aware of this development... ...
Ling Xia's deduction was correct, and at present, Yu ZhiJue did not know anything about the guest to come.
This little brat effortlessly mastered the sword techniques they couldn’t learn and easily surpassed the cultivation levels they spent ages to reach. Even their eternally strict and taciturn master would make no secret of heaping praises on this newly accepted disciple from time to time.
In addition, Yu ZhiJue had a high and mighty attitude, only occasionally addressing others with a half-hearted ‘senior brother’, and virtually looked down his arrogant nose at the world! He didn’t understand the first thing about respecting one’s elders!
Somehow or other, Yu ZhiJue had made enemies everywhere in ShaoYang Sect. It wasn’t that he didn’t notice, but rather, he didn’t care in the slightest how those people viewed him.
Being openly and covertly ostracized, Yu ZhiJue’s sources of information were almost nonexistent, though he himself paid it no heed. Therefore, while completely in the dark, he absent-mindedly followed behind a group of fellow disciples to greet those important guests.
As a result, when Yu ZhiJue spied the seemingly familiar Sinistral Steed beast and those too bright, pink colored clothes, his first reaction was to crease his brows. He wasn’t as fragile as Ling Xia imagined, and seeing these people from YunXiao City again, especially Cui Yu, didn’t cause any guilt or fear in his heart. He only felt disdain.
Cui Yu had not seen Yu ZhiJue for a long time, though she had repeated his name who knows how many times in her heart. When she spotted him from a distance, her eyes brightened and her small face started to heat up.
Due to living a rare, peaceful everyday life these past few months, Yu ZhiJue had grown a bit taller, and his facial features also became more refined. Although he was still quite young, but among that group of disciples, he was exceptionally eye-catching.
Cui Yu trotted over on the Sinistral Steed, nimbly hopped off, and left it in the care of a low-level disciple. First, she crisply called out an “Uncle Feng” towards Feng ShuMing, then eagerly walked over to Yu ZhiJue, staring at him as if entranced, and asked, “ZhiJue, do you still remember me?”
Yu ZhiJue apathetically shifted his line of sight elsewhere without even looking at her.
Feng ShuMing watched his own disciple blatantly disregard Cui TianCheng’s precious daughter and secretly felt pleased, finding Yu ZhiJue more and more to his liking.
In the past many generations, his ChongMing City’s strength was weaker than that of YunXiao City’s. Even though they were considered close allies, privately, they acted at odds, and his side was the one yielding more often than not. Last time when YunXiao City’s delegation attended his ChongMing City’s major disciple recruitment event, they had dared to only dispatch their second best disciple! They were truly mocking and ridiculing his ChongMing City and ShaoYang Sect. Not to mention, under his extended efforts, ChongMing City had already become incomparable to its former days…
Being ignored in front of everyone here, Cui Yu couldn’t help but turn indignant. If it was anyone else, with the exception of her senior brothers, she definitely would have immediately swung her whip in retaliation. But while she was angry at Yu ZhiJue, she was also full of bliss, and just seeing him made her heart jump with joy. So she merely stared at him with a pout, the very picture of one who felt wronged.
The others from YunXiao City showed up soon after, and although the city’s governor was leading this trip, they didn’t come with great fanfare, but a simple retinue instead. The Shang family’s head steward and Shang Yan’s father, Shang Kai, was also present.
Feng ShuMing cupped his hands without delay and gave his greetings. Cui TianCheng, an extremely tall and sturdy middle-aged man, simply nodded in return with a slight aura of oppression, making Feng ShuMing feel ever more resentful in his heart.
He quietly raised his guard; Cui TianCheng very rarely visited to ChongMing City personally, and in his letter, the other only casually wrote a few lines, vaguely hinting that it was still about last time’s matter of the disciple who disappeared.
Feng ShuMing refused to believe that Cui TianCheng‘s purpose in coming was purely for this alone. Even though YunXiao City was powerful, they needed to purchase large quantities of spiritual herbs and water attribute energy stones from him... …He doubted that the other would spend this much time and effort for a single, minor disciple.
Everyone chatted away considerably amicably, and when they reached the large hall, Feng ShuMing immediately ordered his disciples to bring out all kinds of meticulously flavored vegetarian and meat dishes to welcome their visitors.
Those acting as hosts were Feng ShuMing, a few of his senior disciples with an abundance of experience in attending to guests, and a couple of the sect’s elders. New disciples like Yu ZhiJue only needed to show their faces as a courtesy before retiring.
Seeing Yu ZhiJue leave, Cui Yui glanced around and whispered, “Daddy, I’m going outside for a bit.”
Cui TianCheng had long heard from his second disciple Mo Dai about how this dear daughter of his was infatuated with some unknown boy from the outback mountains. He saw how Cui Yui’s eyes were glued to Yu ZhiJue from start to finish, and he too had secretly taken note and observed this boy. Seeing that Yu ZhiJue indeed possessed an extraordinary aptitude that was difficult to come by, he promptly decided not to put a stop to Cui Yu’s behavior.
As if half drunk, Shang Kai abruptly stood up and proclaimed while sounding deeply worried at heart, “It’s been many months since my unworthy son went missing in your venerable lands, and his mother has fallen sick from anxiety and distress. Last time, Sect Master Feng righteously said you’d take responsibility, that you’d absolutely give a replication. In that case, I wonder if any clues have been uncovered as of yet?“
Shang Yan had been conceived after he was past his prime, and he always spoiled that child, never willing to beat or scold him in any way. This caused the boy to develop domineering and unruly habits, resulting in his cultivation stagnating. Shang Kai had always maintained a good relationship with Cui TianCheng, thus he sent Shang Yan over, but who knew that in less than half a year of following Cui TianCheng, he would meet with this kind of mishap!
Without batting an eyelid, Feng ShuMing put down his cup and responded with concern, “Speaking of this, it is indeed odd. Our sect’s disciples have inquired at the ferry crossing and confirmed that your noble son did not leave ChongMing, but were unable to find the smallest of clues despite searching to today. At the time of his disappearance, we were holding our examination at Myriad Beast Forest, and there are some restricted and abnormally dangerous areas inside. If your son wasn’t careful and entered by mistake, then I’m afraid… Hmm, but this shouldn’t be the case. After all, your son was very close with his fellow disciples, so to do so without a word, now that would be odd. Perhaps Brother Cui has found a lead on his end?”
These words of his were exceedingly clever. There was no denying that YunXiao City’s people had been welcomed as esteemed guests, thus naturally, they should have moved as a group within the designated locations. However, Shang Yan curiously vanished without rhyme or reason, and even the senior disciple he was closest to didn’t know a thing. If he had trespassed into orbidden location and met with danger, then it couldn’t be blamed on ShaoYang Sect. Not to mention, wantonly intruding upon a different sect’s restricted regions was a grave and serious violation.
Cui TianCheng said pensively, “Yes, I had asked Mo Dai. On that day, Shang Yan did indeed go out alone… Brother Shang, don’t be too anxious. Believe in this child, for the Heavens help the worthy. He is bound to be safe.”
He paused a beat, then continued, “Brother Feng, please do not find fault with our brashness, but as a matter of fact, we also invited people from ShuYan Dale’s Shui family to help with this investigation.”
“The Shui family?” Feng ShuMing blinked. Everyone on this continent had heard of the influential family of artificers, the Shui family, and their name was known far and wide. The Shui family had produced many crafty geniuses throughout their history, as well as those who fell into the path of dark-arts. It‘s said that they even refined many bizarre artifacts that orthodox cultivators renounced and held in contempt.
But when all was said and done, no one could verify whether or not those things existed for real,and there wasn't anyone who dared to go knocking on this illustrious and famous clan's gates just to ask.
Cui TianCheng confirmed, ''Precisely. I reckon they'll soon arrive.''
Right on time, a disciple rushed into announce that the Shui family's representatives had arrived.
An elegant young man walked inside with a tiny, seven or eight year old gril. They saluted everyone in the hall and intoned, ''Greetings to all the masters present.'' These two people were precisely the siblings Shui Yue and Shui Ling that Ling Xia happened to meet before.
When Yu Zhijue left the hall, he decided to go to the practice arena, but after taking a few steps, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind as a clear, bright, and feminine voice called out, “ZhiJue, wait for me!”
Hearing this voice, Yu ZhiJue’s brows instantly twisted. He stood his ground, coldly turned around, and snapped, “Why are you following me?”
Cui Yu was at a loss for how to answer, blushing after a long stretch of silence. She stomped her foot and insisted, “It’s not like I’m following you on purpose! How come you always ignore me?”
She observantly noticed the jade-colored ornament hanging from Yu ZhiJue’s waist, and taking an extreme liking to it, proceeded to ask, “Where did you get that hanging accessory from? It’s so pretty.”
Yu ZhiJue evaded the hand she extended over and monotonously asserted, “I’m very busy.” With that said, he got ready to turn and leave.
Seeing the way Yu ZhiJue carefully protected it, Feng ShuMing’s daughter Feng Luo popped into Cui Yu’s mind, and her suspicions shot up. She had seen Feng Luo and Yu ZhiJue standing together before, and her senior brothers also complimented Sect Master Feng’s daughter as magnanimous and genuine. It couldn’t be that this ornament was a gift from Feng Luo? Of course, she completely overlooked the other person who was often next to Yu ZhiJue, the one who had hedgehog-like hair and a dumb smile.
Hate and jealousy attacked Cui Yu’s heart. She moved to block Yu ZhiJue’s path in haste and demanded, “Tell me clearly, did someone give that to you?“
Yu ZhiJue only felt she made no utter sense as he impatiently retorted, “What does this have to do with you? Move.”
Cui Yu instantly grew certain of the fact, and rage boiled within. Without warning, she brandished her whip and aimed it towards Yu ZhiJue. Yu ZhiJue wasn’t harmed by her surprise assault, but that hanging ornament was unexpectedly furled away, and by the time he stretched out his hand, it was already too late.
“Give it back!” Yu ZhiJue hollered, fearing that she would break it, his tone subconsciously emanating a dense aura of fury as he automatically reached for the hilt of his soulwood sword.
Cui Yu was frozen in shock by his cruel and vicious gaze, but she quickly regained her senses and refuted through gritted teeth, ''No! What's so good about this thing? Any random artifact in my house is better than this by a hundred times...'' She grasped that pendant and shifted her posture as if to chuck it towards a far away rock garden.
Since it's an artifact, it naturally wasn't as delicate as its appearence suggested, but Yu ZhiJuehad already forgotten about this point. In the blink of an eye, he materialized nect to Cui Yu, snatching the hanging accessory back wth lightning speed, and shoved her at the ground while he was at it.
In his moment of desperation, Yu ZhiJue had covered his strike with water elementals, so a few bloody wounds now sliced across the hand that Cui Yu used to hold the artifact. She tumbled to the floor, lifting her right arm as she stared incredulously at Yu ZhiJue, tears swirling in her eyes. Through trembling lips, she stuttered, ''You, you ... ...''
She had been pampered by everyone since she was small, never having received even a single harsh rebuke. When had she ever suffered such a grievance? What’s more, this wasn’t considered a secluded area, so there were people who peered over upon hearing this disturbance, all of them staring with a peculiar look in their eyes. Flooded with shame and bitterness, Cui Yu found the situation increasingly more difficult to bear.
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